NEED TO KNOW
Rihanna’s dad, Ronald Fenty, has died, PEOPLE can confirm. He was 70.
According to Starcom Network, which was first to report the news, Fenty died in Los Angeles following “a brief illness.” His official cause and date of death have yet to be revealed.
Sources told the outlet, which is based in Rihanna’s home country of Barbados, that Fenty’s family was with him around the time of his death.
In photos obtained by TMZ, Rihanna’s brother, Rajad Fenty, could be seen arriving at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on May 28. The outlet reported that the singer was also in the vehicle.
Representatives for Rihanna did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, May 31.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Lester Cohen/WireImage
Rihanna — who is currently pregnant and expecting her third baby — was born to Fenty and mother Monica Braithwaite in February 1988. (The star is already a mom to sons Rza, 2, and Riot, 1, with A$AP Rocky.)
Along with Rihanna and Rajad, Fenty and Braithwaite were also parents to Rorrey. Rihanna also has three half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships: sisters Samantha and Kandy, plus brother Jamie.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Fenty and Braithwaite raised their family in Bridgetown, Barbados, where Rihanna lived until she was 16 years old. They occupied a bungalow on a street that has since been renamed Rihanna Drive.
The pair separated when the “Love on the Brain” musician was young, and they officially divorced in 2002, when Rihanna was 14.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
Rihanna’s relationship with her father has had its ups and downs over the years.
After the star was assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, Fenty reportedly spoke to the press about the incident without his daughter’s consent. Rihanna addressed the matter years later in an interview with Vogue, in which she called the situation “really strange.”
“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness’ sakes!” she said, per Billboard. “And then he does something so bizarre that I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it.”
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
A year later, Rihanna revealed to Oprah that she “repaired” her relationship with Fenty, though they continued to be at odds, including in 2019, when Rihanna sued her father for allegedly exploiting her name for financial gain.
She claimed, among other complaints, that her father founded a talent development company in 2017 called Fenty Entertainment, posing as her manager to solicit new clients. However, three weeks before the case went to trial in 2021, Rihanna filed to dismiss the lawsuit, according to the BBC.
